'I was terrified to change careers after having a baby. These 3 things made it doable.'

Thanks to our brand partner, H&R Block

When mother-of-three Nayiry Tchaprazian made the decision to return to work after having her first baby, it wasn't as simple as heading back to the office.

She'd just moved to Australia and was facing an entire career change.

"I used to be a registered paediatric nurse," she explains. "If I'd wanted to go back to nursing here, I would have had to do shift work — seven hours or more per shift — and complete additional training to meet Australian requirements."

With a young baby at home, but a strong desire to maintain her professional identity, Nayiry chose a path that opened new doors while allowing for a more flexible schedule. Here are the three most surprising things that helped her return to work with confidence.

Redefining work in new parenthood.

While motherhood is one of the biggest transformations a woman can experience, leaning into the larger impact of that change helped Nayiry redefine what success actually meant to her.

"When I moved to Sydney, I really wanted to build my career, but at the same time be a mum," she says. "I was really looking for something that gave me flexibility." She quickly found a solution in H&R Block's Income Tax Course, Australia's leading income tax course.

"It offered me the exact thing that I wanted — a career that was practical, meaningful, and flexible," she adds. "I didn't have a background in accounting, but I was able to train to be a tax consultant with H&R Block, and I've now been with them for nine years — that's also the age of my eldest daughter."

Watching her children and career blossom at the same time was a unique and rewarding experience in itself. "I started my income tax course and career with H&R Block when Lauren was only three months old and now my whole journey with the company has grown alongside my journey into motherhood."

Productivity at your own pace.

While Nayiry was keen to better understand the Australian tax system properly, she was particularly keen to find the right balance between work and home. "Thankfully, H&R Block are all about flexibility — even when I was studying, I could work around nap times and feeds, and study at my own pace."

The income tax course ran across four months, allowing Nayiry to attend classes in a way that best suited her lifestyle at the time. "You study at your own pace during the week," she explains. "Yes, you attend classes, but they're only a few hours a week and you can attend online or in person, so I'd schedule those learnings around naps and feeds."

By embracing flexibility and balance, Nayiry opened the doors to real career change while also boosting her confidence. "Becoming a mum, your body changes, your emotions change… but this job has been great because it's given me mental peace too," she explains. "I wanted to do something for me — for my self-esteem, and this professional career that I have makes me feel happy — I feel productive."

The H&R Block Income Tax Course provides individuals all over the country with the opportunity to upskill and invest in their own futures while balancing family, work, and a social life. "I have these new skills, but it's also been very much about learning how to balance working and being a mum," says Nayiry. "Now I have great balance, because I'm gradually increasing my workload as the kids are growing up and my kids can see that, yes, mum is going to work — mama is helping others, mama is building something."

Nayiry hopes this will encourage her girls to one day do the same. "I'd love my kids to see what I'm doing and know that they can have a career too — they don't have to just choose between family or professional life."

Adapting how career and motherhood can coexist.

Not having to choose between career and motherhood has been one of the biggest blessings and motivators for Nayiry over the last decade. "I wanted to be a mum, but I also wanted to be independent and financially independent too," she adds. "I wanted to have that confidence that yes I can raise kids and have a professional career — I didn't want to wait until the kids were all grown up before diving back in."

While being a busy mum to three girls and having a professional career can be overwhelming at times, this challenge isn't one Nayiry takes lightly. "I'm a perfectionist, but I've learned that sometimes it's okay to just take a step back or to take a day off to just be with my girls," she says. "If I feel like it's all too much, sometimes I just work on a Saturday because I know that my husband or mum will help with the kids and I can go to work and feel much better when I return because that's my time to switch things up."

Best of all, Nayiry is able to work around all of life's big events, ensuring she's at home with the kids when it matters, and in the office when she needs to be. "I choose the hours that suit the family schedule — if the kids have events I want to attend — I don't work on those days — and I just make sure I really work around the girls."

Ready to start a flexible career in tax and accounting? Check out H&R Block's industry recognised Income Tax Course, with classes starting February and March 2026.

Featured image: Supplied.

Established in 1971, H&R Block is Australia's leading tax preparation firm, operating more than 400 offices nationally. With cutting-edge technology and a workforce where women thrive, they offering expert tax advice, bookkeeping, and accounting services to individuals and small businesses. Visit hrblock.com.au/income-tax-course to register today.